Expectancies
by cariadglynnis
Summary: Harry's at Hogwarts in the sixth year but nothing goes as expected. He Who Shall Not Be Named is getting stronger and so is his connection with Harry. Draco is a suspected death eater. And romance is in the air. I'm going to try to make this a Drarry story but we'll see. Either way- please read! I promise you won't be disappointed.
1. Chapter 1

A whistle blew shrill, a cloud of steam rising from a train pulling out of the station. The tracks rumbled as the engine heaved forward. Harry Potter weaved through the family and friends of passengers standing on the platform, pushing his cart careful not to bump into anyone. People were shouting and crying and running about, making it all quite confusing in the station. Harry focused on the bright red hair bobbing up and down a few feet in front of him. He didn't want to lose Ron, although by the sixth time, he was sure he could find platform 9 ¾ on his own. But still.

Hedwig screeched as Harry whirled the cart around a sharp corner, picking up his pace to a light jog. The anticipation of returning to Hogwarts had filled Harry right from that morning when the sun rose at the Burrow. Hogwarts had always felt like a home to Harry. A true home, unlike anywhere else he had resided. He longed for feeling it brought him.

Up ahead the last Weasley had just disappeared into the wall between platform 8 and 9. Harry was only a few steps away from the platform when his head exploded. He stumbled sideways like he had been hit by something out of nowhere. Falling into a column, he slid down, his knees buckling. Instead of light, darkness burst behind his eyelids. Harry fought it, blindly searching for the bright lights of the Kings Cross, but it only came in quick flashes as the darkness fought back.

Amidst the flashing strobe of light and dark, an image formed in Harry's head. Voldemort. Laughing cruelly as blood tricked down from the corner of his mouth. Blood covering his hands, dripping onto his wand. He sat on a pile of bones, made into a throne of sorts. Muggle and wizard's bones alike held up the Dark Lord like a king. Slowly, he turned to stare into Harry's eyes, barring his teeth ferociously.

Then it ended, just as quickly as it had started and Harry opened his eyes slowly, the bright light making them water. He was slumped against a pillar, his trolley out in the middle of the platform. Nobody seemed to be paying him any attention, so with a great effort, he pushed himself up. His head was throbbing like he knocked it hard. Maybe he did, he wasn't really sure. Tentatively, Harry raised a hand to his scar, which was stinging like acid had been poured over it. The young wizard had gotten used to the visions occurring his dreams, but never before had he experienced one like this in the middle of the day, wide awake.

With his cart in front of him, and moving again, Harry made his way to platform 9 ¾ but the frantic pace had slowed. Each step, each movement brought bile into Harry's throat, but he wasn't going to miss the train again.

Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express with only minutes to spare. The whistle blew, announcing their departure as he put his bags up with the others. Then Gryffindor boy headed toward the back of the train where his fellow house mates usual sat, looking for the car with his friends.

"Harry! Hi," someone called out to him. He looked over his shoulder and found Neville walking towards him. He grinned at Harry, fumbling with something in his hands, which turned out, at a closer inspection, to be Trevor, Neville's pet toad.

"Hullo Neville." Harry walked over to his long-time friend, who now stood a few inches taller than him. He must have grown over the summer, which didn't really help his usual awkwardness at all. Neville clapped Harry on the shoulder steering him down to the end of the car.

"We're all in here," he said, sliding open the door. Inside sat Ron, Hermione and Ginny. The trolley lady had obviously come and gone already for Ron sat lounging on the seat with a pile of treats and empty wrappers at his side.

"Harry!" Hermione stood up in exclamation, "where have you been?" Harry just glanced at her, not really sure what to say as everybody stared at him.

"Yeah mate, one moment you were there, and the next you just disappeared," Ron said popping another chocolate frog into his mouth. Just then and there Harry decided he wouldn't tell them. He didn't want them to worry, and more than that, to pity him. He hated the way they would look at him when he told them about the visions. Like some small stupid animal caught in a trap it made itself. Like it was his fault.

Harry forced a smile and sat down next to Ron, trying to look as casual as his friend. "Just got caught behind a boarding muggle train. Took forever, the lot did." Harry grinned through clenched teeth, the truth so close to spilling out. He needed someone to help him understand what his vision meant, but honestly, he didn't think Ron and Hermione could help.

"Harry, are you sure you're alright," Ginny asked him leaning forward, her elbows on her knees.

He resisted the automatic response of touching his scar, keeping his hand by his side. "Yeah, I'm fine," he took a breath, "really I am."

He could tell Ginny wasn't buying it, but there wasn't much else he could do. Thankfully, at the moment Ron decided to delve into a description of the latest quidditch match between the Romanians and the French. Which led to an argument between him and Hermione about Victor Krum and so on and so forth. Harry just listened and for once appreciated his friend's bickering.

For most of the train ride he was able to just sit and think without being expected to contribute. It was only when the conversation had somehow travelled to the topic of dark magic and death eaters that he began to pay attention.

"Oh not again Harry," Hermione sighed as Harry began re-explaining his theory of Draco Malfoy's involvement with the death eaters. She covered her face with her hands shaking her head. "You can't just make accusations without any evidence."

"But you saw him too. I have witnesses," Harry exclaimed.

"I told you, I don't know what I saw."

"It was a ritual, an initiation of sorts. I'm sure of it and-"

"Please give a rest." Hermione pleaded. Harry glanced at Ron, hoping for back up but was out of luck, for his friend was fast asleep, curled up like a house cat. Ginny had left an hour ago for some girls in her year.

"I just- er need some air." Harry stood, frustrated, and grabbed his small knapsack and invisibility clock. He looked at his friend, his mouth in a tight line. She looked apologetic, but didn't say anything, so Harry left.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco Malfoy closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. When did everybody at this school become so completely idiotic? He had continually tried to tune out the shit spewing out of Blaise's mouth throughout the train ride, but his friend's voice cut through every attempt. Some club he was planning to create, like the DA from last year, but now it would be called the VA. Ridiculous. He knew nothing about the Dark Lord. Voldemort would laugh at Blaise's feeble attempts to serve him. It was embarrassing.

Draco was furious when his mother insisted on sending him back to Hogwarts. "He's just a boy my Lord, he needs to learn, he needs to socialize. We can't keep him cooped up here," she had said at a meeting.

Draco had been attending the Death Eater's meetings ever since Voldemort had seen him for the first time, insisting the boy be present. It was obvious that the Dark Lord took a special interest in Draco, but for what reason, nobody really knew. Not even Draco himself. And as much as it pleased the boy, if he was completely honest with himself, that scared him half to death.

"I can make use of that," the Dark Lord had said simply.

Draco was promptly drawn out of his reverie by a motion in the corner of his eye. Across from them, Pansy was nodding, her eyes practically bugging out of her head as she stared at Blaise. Her hair falling into her eyes from the vigorous nodding made the sight that more pathetic.

When she started looking at Blaise like that instead of me, he wondered. It's not like he cared- not really, but it still stung. Not like he would let anyone on that it did. He never actually 'liked' her, but he liked the idea of someone 'liking' him.

"Did you hear me Draco? I asked if you would help me find the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. We need to have every key part of the castle mapped out to-"

Draco held up his hand stopping him mid-sentence. "Blaise, do me a favour and shut up. Please." He looked up at his friend who just kind of gaped back.

"I don't understand why you have to be such a dick about everything Draco," Pansy said scornfully.

Draco was about to retort back when the entire Slytherin car went dark. A chorus of gasps and shouts filled the air as everyone, for a short moment went blind. Draco, however, made no such noise. He didn't move a muscle and only when the darkness faded did he release a breath he didn't know he was holding. Discreetly, he scanned the room for a change. Something had to be different.

That wasn't just a random black out. It was Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, a rock Draco was very familiar with from previous years. It has aided him with otherwise impossible tasks. And now someone else has used it for whatever reason. He just needed to find something missing or appearing.

The panicky voices had just settled back down into regular conversations, when he saw it. A slight movement above him caught his eye. A few bags shifted over in the luggage rack, slowly and deliberately, like someone shoving them. But no one was there…. Unless they were invisible. Of course on any other train, the thought would be totally insane. However, not on the Hogwarts Express, especially when there is one student in particular who is known to have a cloak of invisibility.

Draco clenched his teeth, and his fists curled into a fist on the armrest. The thought of Potter spying on him, made him suddenly angry. The twat doesn't know what he is getting himself into. He resisted the urge to stand up and drag Potter of the luggage rack then and there. Patience Draco, he could hear his father saying. Instead, the young wizard decided to play oblivious. Give Potter nothing over him. He has nothing, and it will remain that way.

"You're quite right Pansy," Draco said, continuing where the conversation had left off. "I'm sorry about my previous statement." Then he turned to Blaise. "And I want to let you know that I think it's great that you've got a little girl to protect you. Wow I think we should all have one when we can't seem to do shit for ourselves."

"Screw off Pansy. I don't need you defending me." Blaise looked over at Draco expectantly, waiting for approval. The other boy flashed him a golden grin. Well done Blaise, he thought. Perfect delivery. Draco's ability to manipulate people was nothing short of astounding.

Pansy was seething. She glared venomously at Draco before slinking back into her seat, her cheeks red as beets.

"Oy, we're here," Crabbe announced, and turned in his seat to pass on the message. It was true, the train had slowed to a halt so smoothly no one had noticed. The Slytherin students shuffled about, chatting excitedly as they grabbed they baggage. However, Draco remained calmly in his seat. When his friends asked him, he told them to go ahead. There was something he needed to do.

Only when the train car had emptied, did Draco stand. With a flick of his wand, the blinds shut quickly with a snap. Then he turned toward his seat, or actually, above it. His patience would be rewarded.

Not really sure where Harry was, Draco would have to guess, hoping to hit him with the spell. "Petrificus Totalus!"

A half second later, Harry fell from the baggage rack to the aisle, the invisibility cloak coming off, revealing his upper torso. Bull's-eye, Draco thought, a perfect execution of the spell. He sauntered over slowly, grinning over his fine work. Harry's eyes followed Draco's movements, but other than that, he did not- could not move. The blond boy stopped right over him and leaned in close, so he only had to speak in a whisper.

"I can't really blame you for not knowing it's rude to eavesdrop, seeing you don't have any parents around. So I suppose I am going to have to teach you." Slowly standing back up, Draco looked directly into Harry's glaring eyes and in a cool, composed manner, kicked him in the face.

Inside, Draco reeled. It was like electricity pumping through his blood stream. So many years of this rivalry and empty threats. And he had been the first to act on it. Finally physical contact which surprisingly resulted in a shock like one from an open circuit. Draco took a step back, literally shaking, he grabbed his bag, and threw the invisibility cloak back over Harry, whose nose was bleeding steadily.

Then Draco turned around and with all his will power, did not run, but walked casually out the door and down the station towards Hogwarts.


End file.
